Romeo and JulietWilliam Shakespeare

Context of the play

Romeo and Juliet is based on a slew of different tragic romances that date all the way back to the ancient world. The events that the play describes were first published in the English language as The Tragical History of Romeus and Juliet in 1562 by a man named Arthur Brooke.

Romeo and Juliet was composed between 1591-1595. The two quarto editions of the play came out in 1597 and 1599, respectively. The first folio edition appeared in 1623.

At the time R+J was published, Elizabeth I was Queen of England.

James I succeeded her (1603-25), followed by Charles I (1625-1649). Charles I was beheaded for treason.

All theatres were closed down by the Puritan Protectorate that came to power during and after the reign of the Charles I—not to be restored until the restoration of the monarchy in 1660.

Setting

TIME: late1500s

PLACE: Verona, Italy

CIRCUMSTANCE: two families have been fighting for as long as anyone can remember; one member of each family falls in love with his/her enemy

Characters

ROMEO/MONTAGUES

JULIET/CAPULETS

NURSE: Juliet’s caretaker and confidante, facilitates R+J’s union

FRIAR LAWRENCE: Romeo and Juliet’s priest, facilitates R+J’s wedding

BENVOLIO: Romeo’s friend; tries to keep the peace

PRINCE ESCALUS: the law

MERCUTIO: Romeo’s friend; dies at Tybalt’s hand defending Romeo’s honor

PARIS: Juliet’s suitor—forwarded and favored by her father

TYBALT: Juliet’s cousin; Romeo kills him in revenge because Tybalt killed Mercutio

Major Speeches, Act I

Prologue

Prince breaking up the fighting families at 1.1.77-99 “Rebellious subjects, enemies to peace…”

Romeo on Rosaline (Petrarchan sonnet) at 1.1.204 “Well, in that hit you miss: she’ll not be hit…”

Capulet at 1.2.15-25 “But woo her, gentle Paris, get her heart…”

Capulet’s wife at 1.3.98 “Speak briefly, can you like of Paris’ love?”

Mercutio to Romeo on the nature of dreams at 1.4.51 “O, then I see Queen Mab hath been with you…”

Romeo echoing the Prologue at 1.4.104 “I fear too early, for my mind misgives…”

Romeo seeing Juliet at 1.4.156 (getting better at Petrarchan sonnet) “O, she doth teach the torches to burn bright!”

Juliet inquiring of Romeo’s parentage at 1.4.247 “Go, ask his name…”

Major Dramatic Content and Style

Although the play has comic elements, it is a tragedy.

Its comedy consists in wordplay, especially puns, and in the fraternizing between Romeo and his friends.

Its tragedy consists in the action that begins to unfold as Romeo and Juliet’s all-consuming love pits them against various others: their friends, their families, the law, and the church. (Ironically, one could even argue that their love even pits them against one another.)

The play’s language foreshadows its end while equating sex and death. For example, in Act I Sc IV, Romeo echoes the Chorus regarding “star-cross’d lovers” (“stars”) and “death-marked love” (“death”), and Juliet speaks of marrying her own demise not only when she first meets Romeo—saying “if he be married, my grave is like to be my wedding bed”—but also during 1.4, 3.2, 3.5, 4.4. and 5.3.

Major Dramatic Content and Style

What makes the play tragic? There are different theories:

1. FATE or FORTUNE controls the tale, and the characters have no agency.

Vs.

2. DECISIONS control the tale, and the characters make these decisions.

(Which do you think is responsible for the lovers’ end?)

1. Romeo and Juliet is the greatest love story ever told: it is a poignant narrative about two passionate teenagers.

Vs.

2. Romeo and Juliet is a satire: it is a sophomoric tale about two foolish and sentimental kids.

(Which do you think is true?)

Contemporary Allusions and Adaptations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6QlxuCW9dxcStop at 3:57